6th response

Jaehak

11-1

09-12-2008

 

The Great Gatsby

 

Response #6, pp 113 – 180

Response type#3: Connections to other “text”

 

When I have finished last third of the book, The Great Gatsby, the book’s story reminded me of a Korean TV drama which was called love war. This drama handled the topic “Illicit love” based on the real story. So, every time, the drama shows one of the examples of the illicit love and then end of the story, they required the TV viewers participate on the survey whether people should divorce or not in the example situations.

 

The Great Gatsby and Love war do not have completely the same story plot, but the basic of element of the story is totally the same as I realized it easily. Both story handled illicit love. For instance, in the book, Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy depict a love triangle. At first, Gatsby and Daisy fell in love in college period. But their relationship broke naturally as Gatsby should left for military, and then Daisy disappeared before Gatsby arrived from the war. Several years later, Gatsby found out where Daisy lives, and moved to there. In order to meet Daisy, Gatsby made luxury parties every weekend to invite Daisy. One day, Daisy attended Gatsby’s party, and then both remembered each other. Moreover, both of them started to fall in love again as they met more and more time, although Daisy married Tom. Later, Tome sensed out the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. It caused Tom to invest on that, and then he captured their relationship. As everyone knows, this is normal plot of illicit love on every region.

 

After Tom captured Gatsby and Daisy’ relationship, the book and love war what I watched began to have different plot. The first difference is reaction of captured people. In “The great Gatsby”, when Gatsby and Daisy were captured by Tom, Gatsby and Daisy were so confident that they loved each other even though their love was illicit. Moreover, Gatsby kept mentioning that Daisy hasn’t loved Tom and Daisy have loved me. In addition, Daisy was also saying that she hasn’t loved Tom so far. As I watched love war in my young period, I was not able to understand the reaction of Daisy and Gatsby. In the drama, as the illicit love was captured, they was embarrassed, and felt guilty so that both fell on their knees in front of the capturer who was the husband of illicit woman, and then kept saying that they did wrong, please forgave us. They were not able to mention their feeling, and they put more effect not to capture by capturer. Next difference is ending of the illicit love. In the book, when Daisy drove with Gatsby, she crashed a woman who is named Myrtle. However, Gatsby pretended that he crashed Myrtle instated of Daisy. Later on, Myrtle’s husband realized that Gatsby killed Myrtle so that he shot Gatsby as well as suicide himself. On the other hand, in the drama, husband and illicit women visited a court in order to know which person did wrong, and whether or not they are able to divorce.

 

By reading The Great Gatsby, it remained me not only of love war what I watched but also of my young life. I imagined my young period because as the drama was made for over 19 years old people, my parents prevented me not to watch it. As long as I didn’t know it, I tried to watch it, and some not allowed scene appeared, my parents and I were so quiet. 

5th response

Jaehak

11-1

23-11-2008

 

The Great Gatsby

 

Response #5, pp. 61-111

Response type #4: Quotations

 

Quotation:

             After Nick arranged the list of people who attended Gatsby’s parties that summer, a roll call of the nation’s the most wealthy and powerful people, he described the trip that Gatsby called on Nick to go to New York city in order to have lunch there. During driving to New York City, Gatsby and Nick had a conversation. “Look here, old sport,” he broke out surprisingly, “what’s your opinion of me, anyhow?” A little overwhelmed, I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves. “Well, I’m going to tell you something about my life,” he interrupted. “I don’t want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear.” So he was aware of the bizarre accusations that flavored conversation in his halls. “I’ll tell you God’s truth.” His right hand suddenly ordered divine retribution to stand by. ”I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West – all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition.” (pg, 65) Although this short conversation seems nothing for all of the factors that create story, this small element was a motive that stimulated me to read this book more and more. The reason was this conversation is the first part to mention about Gatsby’s past. From the beginning of reading, I expected the story’s plot is going to be about Gatsby as the title says so. However, page one through page sixty; there were no information about him. What I read was the rumors that people in the Gatsby’s parties made. I wanted to know who Gatsby is, why he is creating luxury parties even though he is joining, and what factor will explain why the title said Gatsby is a great man. Finally, as I started to read over one third of book, the story mentioned a little bit about Gatsby like above quote. And I believed that the story will disclose Gatsby deeply as the story passed.

             In the middle of the story, Nick met Jordan who is friend of Daisy. And, Jordan talked about the conversation that the history of Daisy. Jordan said “The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking in a way that every young girl want to be looked at some time, and because it seemed romantic to me I have remembered the incident ever since. His name was Jay Gatsby, and I didn’t lay eyes on him again for over four years” (pg 75). This quote helps me to solve several Gatsby’s mysterious. In the past, Gatsby and Daisy fell in love each other, but some of obstacle let them take away. Later, Gatsby missed her so that he brought his house nearby Daisy house where is Long Island. Moreover, he produced luxury parties every Saturday in order Daisy came there. Because of that, he did not join parties and looked at the parties from outside. After I read this part, I could understand his behaviors. 

4th response

Jaehak
English 11-1
November 2, 2008

The Great Gatsby

Response #1, pp. 1-59
Response type #5: Questions
After I read the one third parts of book which is called The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, suddenly, two of questions are appeared in my brain about this story.

The Great Gatsby is talking about lavish American people based on actual American circumstance in 1920s. Gatsby is a secret and famous person in egg western. Although he creates the luxury parties every weekend in his house to serve the neighbors to join, practically the person himself just looks at the parties from far away. Because of that, the people in the parties were curious about his personal life and wealthy. But, nobody knows about him so that only the rumors go the round such as he killed a person; he is a son of the rich person, and etc. The narrator, Nick Carraway, also begin to be curious about him.

I do not realize that why author used The Great Gatsby as a title of book.

As leaning and reading English or my native language, the title always comes from the main story of book so that people may guess what the context of book is going to be about by reading the title. However, F.Scott Fitzgerald, the author, used one of the characters in the book to represent the book’s title, also there are not enough story about Gatsby in one third part. Who is going to recognize the story of The Great Gatsby by looking at the title? I want to know how Gatsby is connected to lavish American people without reading the context.

Author uses Nick Carraway as a narrator, not directly Gatsby.

“As I waited for my hat in the hall the door of the library opened and Jordan Baker and Gatsby came out together. He was saying some last word to her, but the eagerness in his manner tightened abruptly into formality as several people approached him to say good-by.” (pg 52)

Nick Carraway, a narrator, has first and third perspective in the book. So, the story is telling to the reader what Nick Carraway experiences and observes. Because of indirect tell the story, reader have no way to know what Gatsby, main character, thinks. Moreover, Gatsby is a cause of main secrets. So, as I think, if Gatsby has first and third perspective, he is going to tell the truth of rumor, secret and thought about lavish American people.

3rd response

Jaehak
11-1
04-10-08

Messenger

Response #3, pp.108- 169
Response type#3: Creative

“Messenger” by Lois Lowry’s ending took a place in the forest with a start. Then, the purpose of Matty and Kisa being in forest was going through it in order to reach the village where Matty lived and Kisa’s father, blind man, waiting for. However, as they went through the forest, it obviously changed to harm and vicious from normal. The streams prevented them to walk through the forest and the prickles cut their fresh and clothes. But, Kisa and matty did not have time to take a rest and cure their wound because the village would be closed by two days in order to not to communicate with other societies. As the time passed, their tiredness expanded to their whole body, their wound became deeper, and Kisa almost gave up going through the forest. Matty charged her so that he was not able to go alone. At that time, as the leader looked at them from the village, he realized that Matty and kisa needed a help so that even though it was dangerous for the leader, he get out of the village to help Matty and Kisa. Finally, by leader’s help, all of them were able to reach the village on time. Because of that, blind man achieved his goal which to meet his daughter, and Matty became a real citizen in village with a true name instead of the name Matty.

As you noticed above Messenger’s ending, the ending was so simple that nobody was interested in that book’s story. So, fixing the ending was going to create better novle for everyone as I thought. “Messenger” by Lois Lowry’s ending took a place in the forest with a start. Then, Matty and Kisa were ready to go through the forest before the village was closed in order not to communicate with any other societies. As they closed to the village more and more, the forest changed to harm and fear with the stream prevented them, prickles cut their fresh and clothes and the sun was gone. That was why both of them lost their strong sprite, the tiredness expanded to their whole body, and Kisa gave up going through the village. At the time, Matty asked Kisa to go before the village was closed, but Kisa just got her out by tiredness. Because of that, they got a conflict, Matty just let her sit there, and he went through the village alone by sudden temper. When Matty arrived to the village on time alone, the blind man realized that Matty was not with his daughter so that sudden temper of blind man killed matty and he also did suicide by himself. Also, kisa was dead in the forest. After that, Matty, Kisa, and blind man’s ghosts walked around the village, and more and more people left the village by that.

Mrs. Lois Lowry
Hello, Mrs. Lois Lowry, I am a reader of book which is called Messenger by you. Usually, I do not criticize any of the book’s content. However, in this time, I want to tell you something that will affect you to write better novel next time. As reading through this book, I was able to predict that what the situations will be next page or chapter by some key words all the time. To make reader to be interested in the reading, you should write a story with a reversion. Your story is nothing different with an elementary student’s imaginary. How could you write the novel like that simplest way? Were you not feeling guilty to people who buy your book? Also, modern societies’ students are not children, they are thinking like adults. So, I want you to write a novel with some reversion to make reader to be interested in reading.

Jaehak

1st response

Jaehak
English 11-1
September 8, 2008

Messenger

Response#1, pp.1-55
Response type #1: Reaction and Evaluation


‘Messenger’ by Lois Lowry is a story about Matty is only a person who is able to communicate with other communities. The reason why he is only a communicator in his village is he never gets incidents from wild animals which live dangerous forest where outside boundaries of his village, unlike other his neighbors do. I like this book because of several reasons.

One of the reasons why I favor this book is because of the relationship between people in the story. The author conveys the personality of characters indirectly by how each character deal with others. Because of the story’s condition, there are many people meetings which make my feeling interested and focused on how the story flows. Especially, I like the relationship between matty, a massager, and seer, a blind man. Matty said “I like reading to you, seer” (page 20) because the blind man is not able to read book, and the blind man informs “No. It’s all an illusion” (pg5) for feared Matty who do not contact dangerous forest yet. Both support each of their weakness very well. I like this part because this part attracts my heart to be choked. The reason is egoism is expanding quickly in modern society.

Another reason why I relish this book is because of the special ability of matty. In this summer, many kinds of the movies come out to the theaters, and most of those are about the hero such as incredible Hulk, dark knight, Super hero, and etc. I realize that the trend of the movie story is about hero, and the movies become popular because only one reason that they are fun. This is why I start to focus on the story easily by matty’s kind of special ability that “The vines had never reached out for him. The trees seemed, sometimes, almost to part and usher him through,” (pg 9) even though others experience that “Forest closed in and entangled people who had tried to travel beyond.” (pg 9) As look at this situation, I feel that I want to have a special ability that nobody has. The reason is it sounds like everyone needs me.

I have read this book one third part of the book. I think the story is taking on rising action. Matty is planning to attend the trade market, even though he does not have anything to trade. So, I predict that the conflicts are coming out soon when Matty attends to the trade market with climax, and because of that, he is going to hide in the forest where nobody is able to come.

2nd Independent reading response

Jaehak
English 11-1
2008-09-14

Messenger

Response #2, pp.56-107
Response type #2: Connections through experiences, memories, or issues


In the story Messenger the main character, Matty, received a puppy from Jean. However, he had a terrible history that “the other little, the one who had been his childhood companion for years, had lived a happy, active life, died in his sleep, and had been buried with ceremony and sadness beyond the garden.” (pg 67) This Matty’s history reminded me of when I breed my puppy in elementary school period.

It was about nine years ago, when I was 2nd grade in elementary school, I moved to my parents’ house from my grandparents’ house because my grandparents brought up me and my brother for one years. As I started to live with my parents, my father made something to put on empty garden. Also, I helped my father to plant some tree. Even though I planted some tree and made something, the ground seemed empty place still.

Few days later, my father brought a little puppy which was Korean tradition one. As I was the elementary student, and it was the first time to see the puppy for me, I was interested in that. So, I played with the puppy a lot because at that time, I even didn’t admission to new school. This was why the puppy was the one who was my friend. A little kinds of memory I made with it such as when I ordered it “Sit” or “stand”, sometimes it understood what I said.

I have a similar circumstance with Matty in the story. I was fun to play with the puppy as every children and Matty do. I could understand why the puppy or dog is the most familiar animals to people. However, the puppy was seemed to be sick because all the time it coughed, and didn’t eat as much as it ate before. One day, when I went to the puppy’s house to meet it, it didn’t come out from its house. After that, even though I slap it many times, it didn’t move. Finally, I realized that it was dead. I felt fear because it was first time to see dead people, and even yesterday, it moved and looked at me with smiling. After that, my father took it to mountain in order to bury it. When I read the part that Matty had a terrible scene with his puppy, I was able to understand how he felt.

YIG response #1

Q- What is sook,Nyul Choi's attitude to the occupation of Korea?

A- In my view, the author's attitude to the occupation of Korea thought bitterly within Korea. The reason was many of the problem such as attending Japanese school, Speaking Japanese, No Korean books, fighting against Japanese police and army were in Korean. Even though she has been Korean and lived in Pyongyang, North Korea, She should act like Japanese. So, she thought bitterly within Korea because the Korean nation was not existed by Japan.

Q- What is her purpose in writing?

A- As I think, the author wrote this book in order to tell and express her experience in occupation of Korea by Japan. The reason is the most of Korean history of Japanese occupation are covered by Japanese power in the past so that Korean students do not know what Korean history were exactly. Because of this reason, the author wanted to tell some of the Korean history in her experience to the students who do not know about obivious history.